Health festival to be held Saturday at Veterans Park

The first Tupelo Health and Wellness Festival will fill Veterans Park with a free, daylong festival dedicated to the gamut of healthy choices available in the Tupelo area.

The festival will start at 10 a.m. and culminate in the Five Ten Glo Run at 8 p.m.

“It’s going to look like spaceships have landed in Tupelo,” said Taylor Neal, health and wellness coordinator. “I don’t think anyone has seen anything like this.”

Hundreds already are signed up for the run, but there’s plenty of room for more runners and walkers of all ages. Live music will begin at 6 p.m.

Glo-run participants can register and pick up packets from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Veterans Park and Saturday during the festival.

During the day, there will be plenty to check out including free exercise classes and cooking demonstrations. Nearly 50 vendors will have product demonstrations, samples and information about fitness programs, equipment, clothing, nutritional supplements and tools for healthy living.

A Kids’ Corner will be set up near the splash pad so kids can explore healthy fun, too.

In the morning, the Tupelo Aquatic Center will host free yoga classes, kayaking and demonstrations as part of the festival.

In the afternoon, festival-goers looking to escape the heat will be able to swim at normal admission prices.

There will be drinks and snacks for sale at the festival. Participants should feel free to bring their own picnics.

People who visit all three areas of the festival and return their stamped passport will be in the drawings for door prizes, including a free gym membership and gift certificates.